Life-raft.



0. M. BURTON.

LIFE RAPT.

APPLIGATION FILED APB. 2, 1914.

1,107,652, Patented Aug'. 18, 1914 5 vwa nto@ i OLIVER IVI. BURTON, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LIFE-nerr. i-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aue". 18, 1914.

Application filed April 2, 1914. Serial No. 828,977.

fl 1o all whom it may concern:

lle it known that I, OLIVER M. BURTON, a citizen of the United States,and resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLife-Rafts, of which the following is a specification.

One of the important objects of this invention isrto provide a life raftmade up of a fabric casing having a continuous top and a continuousbottom, the interior of the casing being divided into a large number ofsmall independent compartments or cells to contain the buoyant material.The purpose of this construction is to divide the buoyant material intosmall independent sections or charges so that said material may beuniformly distributed throughout the raft to secure a uniform buoyancy;and also to minimize the injury to the raft by a tear or puncture, or arupture of the outer c: sing at any one point.` It is manifest thatthese rafts are used in times of stress and excitement and the outercasing thereof is likely to be torn or damaged, and for that reason itis desirable that the buoyant material within the casing be confined insmall pockets or cells. By this construction only the material in theinjured cell can be lost or displaced and washed away, the remainder ofthe raft remaining in its original condition. It is obvious that thebuoyancy of the raft will not be seriously affected unless aconsiderable number of the cells or compartments are broken and thematerial lost therefrom.

Another object of the invention .is to provide a casing with aconsiderable number of vertically disposed strengthening webs, whichwebs secure the top and bottom of the casing together, and also bracethe sides of the casing, the ends of the division webs being secured tothe sides ofthe casing. These webs also serve as means to which theholding straps may be securely attached, all of which will loe fully setforth hereinafter.

ln the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the life raft; Fie".2 a longitudinal vertical sectional view thereof; Fig. 3 a plan view ofa raft showing a slightly different arrangement of interior cells orpockets; and Fig. l a similar view showing the cells or pockets runninglongitudinally of the raft.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, 1 designates the top of theraft and 2 the bottom thereof; 3 the longitudinal sides and i the endsthereof. The raft may be of any desired dimensions and of any desiredthickness to adapt it for the place in which it is to be stored or used.The casing is preferably formed of some stout fabric which may bewater-proof and iire-proof if desired. y

The interior of the casing, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is divided into amultiplicity of narrow transverse compartments or cells 5. Thesecompartments are formed by means of the transverse division webs (3,vsaid webs being stitched at their upper and lower edges to the to i andbottom respectivelv of the casing, s iown clearly in Fig. 2. Thesedivision webs are also stitched to the sides 3 of the raft. lt ismanifest that each compartment 5 is completely sepa 'ated from `theadjoining conngartment or compartments and is practically entirelyindependent of said adjoining compartments. The division webs G verygreatly strengthen the raft and prevent any material independent lateralor outward movements of any side or portion of the raft.

The compartments or cells are preferably of uniform size and are filledwith a uniform quantity-of buoyant material so that the raft will be ofuniform buoyancy throughout its entire area. The material I prefer touse is silk floss or kapok. This material is very light and buoyant andis allected to a very slight extent by immersion in water. The materialis packed in the compartments to any degree of density, but it isusually firm enough to hold the raft of the desired thickness,notwithstanding any hard usage to which it may be subjected.

To enable persons to readily grasp the raft, holding straps 7 aresecured along the top thereof and near its longitudinal edges. Holdingstraps 8 are also secured t0 the sides of the raft. These straps areanchored by stitching or otherwise, at suitable intervals, to the edgesof the division webs whereby said straps may be securely anchored inposition. The division webs forming the compartments are also desirablefor the reason` that if the holding straps are torn from the casing, andthe casing thereby broken or ruptured only the material in the broken orruptured compartment or pocket can escape.

In Fig. 3 the transverse compartments are however, be made of suoli asize that if oneV or tivo be broken and their contents lost, thesustaining power of the raft Will not be materially reduced.

`What I claim is:

l. A life raft consisting of a flexible casing having a continuous topand a continuous bottom, and side and end Walls, division Webs securedto the top and bottom of said casing and to the vertical Walls thereofand forming a plurality of independent compartments Within the casing,said compartments being of uniform size and'eXtending throughout thecasingg'and a filling of buoyant material in each of said compartments,said filling being of substantially uniform density in the compartments,whereby the raft Will be of uniform buoyancy and density throughout.

2. A life raft consisting of a flexiblecasing having a continuous topand a continurior/,ese

buoyant material in each of said compart-l ments, said filling being ofsubstantially uniform density in the compartments, holding straps andmeans securing said holding straps to the easing, said means connectingA the holding straps to the division Webs.

3. A life raft comprising a flexible casing having a continuous top anda continuous` bottom and side and end Walls and a plurality ofcontinuous division Webs extending throughout said casingand secured tothe bottom and top of the casing and forining a multiplicity of smallindependent compartments of uniform size and a filling of light softbuoyant material packed in each fcompartment to a uniform density,whereby said raft Will be of uniform density and uniform buoyancythroughout.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo Witnesses. OLIVER M. BURTGN.

Q Witnesses:

Giras. J. MAIN,

` TONY O. SPAGKEY.

Copies. of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each,y byaddressinglthe Commissioner otlatencs,

Washington, D. C.

